With four Bellator wins to his name, Bezerra ready to shine in debut tourney action

After four appearances and four stoppage victories, it’s finally Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra’s time to shine in tournament action.

Riding a seven-fight win streak, Bezerra meets Kenny Foster at Friday’s Bellator 60 event in Hammond, Ind., and some believe “Popo” has what it takes to rise to the top of the talent-rich field. Bezerra, himself, refuses to speculate.

“There’s no point to thinking about winning it all if I don’t make it past my first fight,” Bezerra told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in his native Portuguese. “So that’s what I’m focused on. I’m not thinking about the future. I’m thinking about now.”

Born in Campina Grande and raised in Sao Paulo, Bezerra studied capoeira and karate in his youth. In 2002, he began training in earnest, focusing on wrestling and jiu-jitsu, rather than the striking arts of his childhood background.

It was during this time Bezerra picked up his nickname, of which he admits he’s changed the meaning along the way.

“When I wrestled, we had to wear singlets which would very clearly showcase my behind,” Bezerra admitted. “The girls would call me ‘Popô,’ which means ‘butt.’ One day someone put down ‘Popo,’ so it was assumed my nickname was ‘Popó,’ which is the nickname of the famed Brazilian boxing champion Acelino Freitas.

“Most of the time, when people ask about my nickname, I give them the simple explanation and tell them it’s because of the boxer. It’s easier to explain that way.”

Bezerra made his professional debut in 2008. He built up an impressive 7-1 mark on the regional scene, losing only to current UFC contender Charles Oliveira in a 2009 matchup. It’s a result that’s still fresh in his mind as an important lesson learned.

“My main lesson was to go in more relaxed,” Bezerra said. “You can’t stress about so many things. Ultimately, you’re only there to fight, which is something you already do every day. So I learned not to let my mental state affect my performance.

“I was going in tense. Fighters tend to be superstitious. This tenses you up and has a negative effect.”

Bezerra relocated to Philadelphia in 2011 to train with Daddis Fight Camps. Since signing with Bellator, he’s earned three first-round submission stoppages and a second-round TKO. Now he’ll face Foster, who replaced Genair da Silva, in the opening round of Bellator’s season-six featherweight tournament.

If he makes it past Foster, Bezerra will face a difficult road to tournament victory. Bellator has assembled another impressive list of featherweights in the season-six tournament, and Bezerra admits he’s impressed with the lineup.

“They’re excellent,” Bezerra said. “There’s Marlon Sandro, who needs no introduction. There’s Ronnie Mann, who’s young but has an extensive fight record, Daniel Straus who had a great fight previously against Patricio Freire and many others. Wagnney Fabiano was supposed to join us. He’s highly experienced, but unfortunately he got hurt and dropped out. Plus, there’s Pat Curran, who’s also very tough, and he’ll be fighting for the belt.

“I think the 145-pound class in Bellator is closest to the the UFC’s in regards to the quality of fighters. Lightweight is almost there, too. Bellator’s 135-pound class is also stacked with tough guys. Ultimately, I think featherweight in Bellator has the most well-rounded and dangerous fighters.”

Bezerra is certainly among them. He may not be the best-known name in the field, but many believe he possesses the abilities to win the entire bracket. Bezerra won’t allow himself to evaluate his chances but admits it’s certainly the end goal.

“I would be lying if I said that wasn’t my goal,” Bezerra said. “But for now, the immediate goal is to take each fight as they come and to earn my money. If you do everything right, reaching the belt is a natural consequence. It’s not something I necessarily dream about incessantly, but it is certainly my goal.

“I’d like to send out a big hug for all my friends at Godoi Jiu-Jitsu in Sao Paulo, and let them know that a lot of what I’ve accomplished I owe to them. I don’t forget where I came from, my roots. Now it’s one day at a time.”

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.